Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews: Blog Tour

Showing posts with label Blog Tour. Show all posts

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Blog Tour: Queen's Hope by E.K. Johnston

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the STAR WARS: QUEEN'S HOPE by E.K. Johnston Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

Title: Star Wars: Queen's Hope

Author: E.K. Johnston

Release: April 5, 2022
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Series: Star Wars Disney Canon
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 352

Synopsis:

A peace-loving senator faces a time of war in another thrilling Padmé Amidala adventure from the author of the New York Times best-sellers Queen's Peril and Queen's Shadow!

Padmé is adjusting to being a wartime senator during the Clone Wars. Her secret husband, Anakin Skywalker, is off fighting the war, and excels at being a wartime Jedi. In contrast, when Padmé gets the opportunity to see the casualties on the war-torn front lines, she is horrified. The stakes have never been higher for the galaxy, or for the newly-married couple.

Meanwhile, with Padmé on a secret mission, her handmaiden Sabé steps into the role of Senator Amidala, something no handmaiden has done for an extended period of time. While in the Senate, Sabé is equally horrified by the machinations that happen there. She comes face to face with a gut-wrenching decision as she realizes that she cannot fight a war this way, not even for Padmé.

And Chancellor Palpatine hovers over it all, manipulating the players to his own ends…

You Can Find It At:
Goodreads

Excerpt:

Sabé took her empty plate and Tonra’s and went into the kitchen to wash them. Before, a call from Padmé would have sent her running for the holoprojector, eager to hear what her friend wanted her to do. But something had changed. After Geonosis, Padmé had been uncharacteristically reticent, hiding everything even from Sabé. She’d disappeared to the lake house on Naboo and hadn’t contacted anyone for weeks. And yes, Sabé herself wasn’t always easy to track down, but Padmé was a senator. If it was important, she found a way. And now she needed Sabé again, and Sabé was alarmed to find she was a little bit resentful. What was happening to them?

When everything was clean, she went to the holoprojector and turned it on. She had no idea what time it was on Coruscant, and she wasn’t sure how long she’d have to wait for Padmé to pick up, but someone would be on the other end of the line, and they’d tell her what to expect.

“Sabé!” To her surprise, Padmé’s face appeared in front of her almost immediately. The senator looked good, clearly having recovered from whatever happened to her in the droid foundry, and her tone was normal. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Sabé said. And it was true. Missing Padmé was like missing the sun, and she was currently on a planet with two of them.

“How is Tatooine?” Padmé asked.

“Hot, dry, and dusty,” Sabé told her. “But we’re making real progress. The locals, the ones I care about, are starting to trust us. We’ve already made a few offworld runs for them.”

“That’s good.” Padmé bit her lip. She was definitely going to ask Sabé to leave the planet.

“Tonra suggested that it fits our cover if I disappear on a longer mission,” Sabé said. Padmé’s relief was immediate. “He’ll keep the ship, but I can make it to Coruscant from the transport hub here. When we’re done, I can return.”

“I’ll send Captain Mariek for you,” Padmé offered, happy to make everything as easy as she could. “That will make your traveling a bit easier, and I won’t worry about you the whole time.”

“What do you need me to do?” Sabé asked. She leaned back in her chair, almost relaxed at how familiar this was.

“This one’s complicated,” Padmé said. “There’s a mission my faction in the Senate is running, and it has to be me who goes. Only, I can’t disappear from the Senate, because people will notice. I need you to come to Coruscant and be Senator Amidala.”

All thoughts of relaxation fled. Senator Amidala was so different. There was no makeup to hide behind, no bulky dresses to use as a physical barrier. This wouldn’t be a normal switch. She’d have to mimic Padmé on the floor of the Galactic Senate.

“Who knows?” Sabé asked.

“Senator Organa,” Padmé said. It wasn’t a surprise. He had seen through their disguise early on but had never told anyone about it. Sabé rather liked him. “And Mon Mothma.”

That was a very short list, and the Chancellor wasn’t on it. “This is going to be challenging,” Sabé said.

“On the bright side, I’ve just brought on two new handmaidens,” Padmé said. Her voice shuddered a bit referring to the tragedy as a bright side. “You can switch out with one of them easily enough to relearn your way around the Senate, and then you and I can switch places for a couple of days before I leave.”

Sabé was already mentally packing her trunk.

“I’ll meet Mariek on the transport hub tomorrow, if she can make it,” she said.

“I’ll make the arrangements,” Padmé told her. She hesitated, then smiled. “I am so glad we’ll get to see each other again for a bit.”

“So am I,” said Sabé. It was the truth. “It’ll be just like old times. I’d better go pack.”

Padmé had been fully intending to tell Sabé the whole story, everything from seeing Anakin again through the time at the Lars homestead and their captivity on Geonosis, including the wedding. But then Sabé had said “just like old times,” and her resolve had crumbled.

Anakin hadn’t been able to see her when he’d returned to Coruscant. He’d only been on the planet long enough to see the Chancellor, and to get his next assignment before he and Obi-Wan shipped out to the front. They hadn’t yet set up a way to communicate surreptitiously, and Padmé had no reason to contact him through official channels. She knew that sort of thing was to be expected; it was why they had traveled separately back from the lake house, but it still stung. She accepted that he would have a job to do, just as she would, but she hadn’t expected reality to throw it all in her face quite so quickly. When she had a moment, she would ask C-3PO if there was a way he could securely link to R2-D2.

This time with Sabé was exactly what she needed. She would use it to find her way forward, balancing the old with the new. It would be like old times. They would learn to be each other’s mirror again, something they hadn’t done in years and had never tried on this scale. They would spend time together and it would be easy and fun, and they would have their work to keep them busy. When they had to separate for Padmé to go on the mission, she would know that Sabé would be waiting for her when she came back.

When Sabé arrived, Padmé greeted her with a smile. She introduced her to Ellé and Moteé, and they all sat down with Dormé, Typho, Mariek, and the other guards for the Naboo-style dinner Padmé had planned to welcome Sabé back. There were brightly colored stuffed peppers and five-blossom bread, and berries from the Lake Country soaked in rum custard. As she watched her friends eat, laughing and talking with one another, Padmé was happy.

She wished Anakin were here. That was the only thing that kept the night from being perfect. She missed him, and not even Sabé could make her feel better. It was strange, to love two people so much, so differently. She didn’t quite understand it, and she wasn’t sure how to make it work.

Someday, she would figure out how to put both halves of her life together. Someday, she would make the political and the personal more cohesive. Someday, she wouldn’t keep them so divided. Someday, Anakin would sit at this table, too. There was a war on, and they were always in danger from that, but there was no reason not to plan for an optimistic future, where every person she had brought into her life was just as happy as everyone else.

Author Bio:

E.K. Johnston had several jobs and one vocation before she became a published writer. If she’s learned anything, it’s that things turn out weird sometimes, and there’s not a lot you can do about it. Well, that and how to muscle through awkward fanfic because it’s about a pairing she likes.You can follow her on Twitter (@ek_johnston) to learn more about Alderaanian political theory than you really need to know, on Tumblr (ekjohnston) if you’re just here for the pretty pictures, or online at ekjohnston.ca.

You Can Find Her At:
Website

BookBub

Giveaway:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of STAR WARS: QUEEN'S HOPE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:
4/1/2022 Writer of Wrongs Excerpt
4/2/2022 Kait Plus Books Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:
4/3/2022 BookHounds YA Excerpt/IG Post
4/4/2022 #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog Excerpt
4/5/2022 Sadie's Spotlight Excerpt/IG Post
4/6/2022 The Girl Who Reads Review/IG Post
4/7/2022 Emmiepooh2 Review
4/8/2022 Lifestyle of Me Review
4/9/2022 YABooksCentral Excerpt

Week Three:
4/10/2022 Dorky Girl and Skeletor Excerpt
4/11/2022 Lady Hawkeye Excerpt/IG Post
4/12/2022 Two Chicks on Books Excerpt
4/13/2022 @coffeesipsandreads Review/IG Post
4/14/2022 Nerdophiles Review
4/15/2022 onemoreexclamation Review/IG Post
4/16/2022 BETTER_0FF_READ IG Spotlight

Week Four:
4/17/2022 SJ_Bookshelf Review
4/18/2022 Rajiv's Reviews Review/IG Post
4/19/2022 Two Points of Interest Review
4/20/2022 Living in a Bookworld Excerpt
4/21/2022 Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
4/22/2022 @enjoyingbooksagain Review
4/23/2022 @the.page.sage TikTok Review/IG Post

Week Five:
4/25/2022 @drewsim12 Review
4/26/2022 A Bookish Dream Review/IG Post
4/27/2022 The Momma Spot Review/IG Post
4/28/2022 Fire and Ice Review
4/29/2022 @meetcuteromancebooks IG Spotlight
4/30/2022 onemused IG Spotlight

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Blog Tour: Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Welcome to my stop on the Alone Out Here blog tour! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the ALONE OUT HERE by Riley Redgate Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I am currently reading the book and absolutely loving it! The book can be hard, it is an apocalypse after all, but it's so good! I'll update the post with my review as soon as I finish it.

Title: Alone Out Here
Author: Riley Redgate
Release: April 5, 2022
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 400

Synopsis:

What do you stand for, when you're one of the last left standing?

The year is 2072. Soon a volcanic eruption will trigger catastrophic devastation, and the only way out is up.

While the world’s leaders, scientists, and engineers oversee the frantic production of a space fleet meant to save humankind, their children are brought in for a weekend of touring the Lazarus, a high-tech prototype spaceship. But when the apocalypse arrives months ahead of schedule, First Daughter Leigh Chen and a handful of teens from the tour are the only ones to escape the planet.

This is the new world: a starship loaded with a catalog of human artifacts, a frozen menagerie of animal DNA, and fifty-three terrified survivors. From the panic arises a coalition of leaders, spearheaded by the pilot’s enigmatic daughter, Eli, who takes the wheel in their hunt for a habitable planet. But as isolation presses in, their uneasy peace begins to fracture. The struggle for control will mean the difference between survival and oblivion, and Leigh must decide whether to stand on the side of the mission or of her own humanity.

With aching poignancy and tense, heart-in-your-mouth action, this enthralling saga will stay with readers long after the final page.

You Can Find it At:

Bookshop.org

Reviews:

"Redgate explores what makes us human and what makes us teens with excruciating precision, revealing the best―and worst―of both. A fast-paced, beautifully put together story of a girl getting it done."―E. K. Johnston, New York Times #1 best-selling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka

"With its diverse cast of characters and near-future plot line, this book would make a good addition to collections with established audiences for science fiction stories and titles featuring strong examples of female empowerment."―School Library Connection

“An enthralling adventure that’s at once intimate and cinematic, with heart-pounding twists and vividly drawn characters. Redgate’s gorgeous prose poses fascinating questions about the future.”―Romina Russell, author of the New York Times best-selling Zodiac series

“Stunning, visceral, and utterly gripping, Alone Out Here is a vivid look at human determination when forced to survive the impossible. Leigh Chen is a leader unlike any other as she navigates dwindling resources, betrayal, and the ultimate question of what it means to be human.”―C.B. Lee, author of the Sidekick Squad series

“Utterly absorbing, and packed with heart, action, and questions that lingered long past the final page. I read it in a single day.”―Amie Kaufman, author of the Aurora Cycle and the Elementals trilogy

Excerpt:

[Epigraph]

Tell me what you can’t forget, and I’ll tell you who you are. —Julie Buntin, Marlena

We long only for the world we were born into. —Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven

I remember one night more clearly than the rest. It was the hottest July on record, and I was fifteen, lying awake and sweaty on the faded linen sofa in Lilly’s basement. With the way the crickets were squalling, Lilly couldn’t get to sleep, which meant no chance of sleep for Marcus or me, either. So the three of us were talking ourselves out into the universe, fantasizing in scratchy voices about God and death and the first day of sophomore year, and around two a.m., we wound up whispering about the end of the world.

We’d kicked the questions around before. Maybe you did, too. If the apocalypse hit tomorrow, which five people would you pick for your zombie survival team? Which three things would you take down to the nuclear bunker? What would you save from the wasteland?

We never settled on answers. Lilly drifted off halfway through, and the next morning, Marcus kept swapping his choices back and forth, clarifying the rules over breakfast. “Is there internet in this wasteland?” he asked, thumbing his glasses up. “If I brought my headset, could I have unlimited games?”

Lilly rolled her eyes and said, “God, Marcus, what kind of amateur apocalypse do you think this is?” and I lay back in her window seat and laughed, loose-limbed, careless, because everything we were saying felt unreal.

That was three years ago. Now, most nights, I lie awake and watch those moments replaying across the backs of my eyelids. I retrace the pikes of sunlight angled through the kitchen window or feel the frayed threads of the sofa, the patches that Lilly’s golden retriever pawed to death when he was too young to know better. I hear the way my best friends sighed after they laughed, deep and contented, like they’d just taken a cold drink on a hundred-degree day. It hurts to remember, knowing that two months later, the announcements froze that world like amber engulfing a living thing. But I can’t make myself stop.

I wish I could show it to you, too—really show you. I wish I could scan my old life out into VR space so you could walk all the way inside. We’d step through Lilly’s messy little kitchen like archaeologists through some perfectly preserved temple, and I’d pause the scene, point to the scar on Lilly’s chin, and tell you that happened when we were thirteen, the day she hacked off a foot of her hair with a pair of garden shears on a dare from Marcus. He wasn’t even being serious, and as for me, I stood there and watched with a stupid grin on my face, not believing it would happen until it did. And maybe you’d say Lilly sounds reckless or impulsive, and Marcus and I should have known better. And I’d say, probably, but that’s Lilly, that’s Marcus, that’s us. That’s what I’d save.

About the Author:

Riley Redgate majored in Economics at Kenyon College and is now based in Chicago, where she was an apprentice with the Onion. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Seven Ways We Lie; Noteworthy, a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book and NYPL Best Book; and Final Draft, a Bank Street Book of the Year.

You Can Find Her At:
Website

BookBub

Giveaway:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of ALONE OUT HERE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:
4/1/2022 YABooksCentral Excerpt
4/2/2022 The Reading Devil Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:
4/3/2022 Kait Plus Books Excerpt/IG Post
4/4/2022 Rajiv's Reviews Review/IG Post
4/5/2022 boozybook blog Review/IG Post
4/6/2022 @theheavycrownreads Review
4/7/2022 Lifestyle of Me Review
4/8/2022 onemoreexclamation Review/IG Post
4/9/2022 A Court of Coffee and Books Review/IG Post

Week Three:
4/10/2022 The book review crew Review/IG Post
4/11/2022 Celia's Reads Review/IG Post
4/12/2022 Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
4/13/2022 Book-Keeping Review/IG Post
4/14/2022 Emmiepooh2 Review
4/15/2022 Excuse Me, I’m Reading Review
4/16/2022 laura's bookish corner Review/IG Post

Week Four:
4/17/2022 TakeALookAtMyBookshelf Review
4/18/2022 A Backwards Story Review/IG Post
4/19/2022 @the.page.sage TikTok Review/IG Post
4/20/2022 100 Pages A Day Review
4/21/2022 @coffeesipsandreads Review/IG Post
4/22/2022 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers Review/IG Post
4/23/2022 Two Points of Interest Review

Week Five:
4/24/2022 @jypsylynn Review
4/25/2022 The Momma Spot Review/IG Post
4/26/2022 @thebookishfoxwitch Review/IG Post
4/27/2022 onemused Review
4/28/2022 Do You Dog-ear? Review
4/29/2022 Momfluenster Review
4/30/2022 popthebutterfly Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

Friday, February 4, 2022

Blog Tour: The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa

I am so excited to be a part of this blog tour! I loved The Iron Fey series growing up, and when I learned about this new spin-off, I knew I needed to read it! The Iron Sword is the second book in the series, following Puck's book from last year. It released just this Tuesday, so you can go to a store and get it now!

Title: The Iron Sword

Author: Julie Kagawa

Release: February 1, 2022

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 304

Synopsis:

As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey.

Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

You Can Find it At:

Excerpt:

The Missing King

I’ve lived a long life.

Not as long as some in Faery. Robin Goodfellow, for example, is older than me by several hundred years (though you wouldn’t know it by the way he acts). King Oberon, Queen Titania, and Queen Mab are older still, ancient beings with the power to rival anything in the Nevernever. I’m not as old or as powerful as the kings and queens of Faery, but even by fey standards, I’ve lived a goodly while. I’m known in the Nevernever; my name is recognized and even feared, by some. I’ve been to the farthest reaches of Faery. I have seen things no one else has. Nightmares, dragons, the End of the World. I’ve passed impossible tests, triumphed in unwinnable challenges, and killed unbeatable monsters.

None of it prepared me for being a father.

Meghan stared at Glitch, her face pale in the sickly light of the wyldwood. At the Iron faery who had just turned both our worlds upside down with his announcement.

Touchstone is no more. Prince Keirran, King of the Forgotten, has vanished.

“Explain, Glitch,” Meghan demanded. Her voice was calm, steely, though I caught the tremor beneath. “What do you mean, Keirran has vanished? What has happened to Touchstone?”

“Your Majesty.” Glitch bowed his head, the lightning in his hair flickering a subdued purple. “Forgive me, I only know what the messenger told us. That Touchstone has disappeared, and Prince Keirran is gone. I wish I could tell you more.”

Keirran. Fear twisted my insides. Not for me, but for the son who, despite all his assurances, couldn’t seem to keep himself out of trouble. Even before he was born, he had a prophecy hanging over his head that proclaimed him either a savior or a destroyer, and the entire Nevernever watched to see which he would become. For years, Meghan and I raised him with that knowledge, trying not to let it influence us, but knowing that one day, we would have to face the consequences of Keirran’s decision.

The prophecy finally came to a head when a powerful new foe rose up to threaten all of Faery. The Lady, the first queen of the Nevernever, furious that Faery had moved on without her, gathered the Forgotten to her side and waged war on all the courts. She promised them a new world, a world where humans would fear and worship the fey again, and where no faery would Fade away from being forgotten. She demanded the courts be dissolved, and that the rulers of Faery step down and acknowledge her as the true and only queen of the Nevernever. Naturally, the other rulers refused, and the war with the Forgotten began.

At that moment, Keirran made his choice, and it was Destroyer. He betrayed his court, turned his back on his family, and joined the Lady in her quest to conquer the Nevernever. And even though I had known it could happen, even though the prophecy had foretold it, it was still a devastating blow for both Meghan and myself. Keirran was stubborn, idealistic, and once he set his mind to something there was no changing it, but I hadn’t thought him capable of betraying his entire court.

Meghan took a quiet breath. I could sense the struggle within; the desire to know what had happened to our son, balanced against the duties and obligations of the Iron Queen. Faery wasn’t safe. We had just returned from the wyldwood, after battling a vicious new monster that nearly killed us all. I still ached, muscles battered and bruised, from the power of the creature’s attacks. There had been five of us: myself, the Iron Queen, Robin Goodfellow, an Iron faery named Coaleater and a Forgotten called Nyx, and even then we barely managed to bring down the creature. Only to discover the threat to the Nevernever was far from over. In fact, it was only beginning.

Meghan knew this. A shadow had fallen over Faery, the echo of a new prophecy hovering over it like a storm. The end has begun. Evenfall is coming. Faery and every living creature that exists under the sun are doomed.

I stepped close to Meghan and put my hands on her shoulders, feeling them tremble beneath my palms. Leaning in, I murmured, “I can find him, Meghan. If you need to return to Mag Tuiredh, I’ll take Puck and Grim, and we’ll go look for Keirran. Grim can lead us to Touchstone, and from there we’ll see what happened to the capital and where Keirran could have gone. You don’t have to come with us this time.”

“No.” She reached up and squeezed one of my hands. “I need to know what happened to Touchstone, why it suddenly vanished. If another one of those monsters is responsible for its destruction, you’ll need my help to take it down. Besides…” She paused, a shadow of pain crossing her face. “If something happened to Keirran, if one of those creatures got to him like they got to Puck, I want to know. I want to see it for myself. If both of us are there this time, maybe that will be enough to bring him back.”

My insides felt cold. The Monster we had fought and killed was unlike anything I had ever seen before: a physical manifestation of hate, rage, fear, and despair. It poisoned the land around it, tainting everything with dark glamour and negative emotions, and worst of all, it was able to bring out the shadow side of any living creature it touched. I had seen this firsthand with Puck, where he had been transformed into a faery consumed by jealous anger and vicious spite. The Robin Goodfellow of old. The Robin Goodfellow who was still furious with me for stealing away Meghan, who held a grudge for all the times I tried to kill him.

Not that I blamed him.

Fortunately, Puck had been able to fight through that darkness and return to his normal, carefree, irreverent self. But I knew what Meghan was thinking, and I shared her fear. Keirran had already shown himself capable of turning on and betraying everything he loved. Would we venture into the Between to find our son had turned into a soulless enemy once more?

I leaned close to Meghan, feeling her grip on my hand tighten. “We’ll find him,” I said quietly. “We’ll find him and whatever it takes, we’ll bring him home.”

She nodded once, then stepped away to gaze down at the still-kneeling Glitch. “You’ve done well,” she told the Iron lieutenant. “Return to Mag Tuiredh. Keep our people safe. I am going to search for Prince Keirran. I will return as soon as I am able.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Glitch said, though I knew he wanted to protest. The First Lieutenant never liked it when both rulers of Mag Tuiredh left the Iron Kingdom for unknown amounts of time. But he had been with Meghan long enough that he simply bowed his head and replied, “Good luck and safe travels to you both. I will keep the city safe until you return.”

Meghan turned, her gaze seeking the rest of the party behind us. Puck stood under a tree with his arms crossed, bright red hair making him stand out in the gloom. Beside him, a cloaked, hooded figure watched the proceedings silently, seeming to blend into the shadows. It took Meghan a moment to locate her. “Nyx,” she said, “you are a Forgotten, and a member of Keirran’s court. Right now, it appears Touchstone has disappeared, and the Forgotten King has vanished. Can you part the Veil and take us into the Between?”

The silver-haired fey with the twilight skin and golden eyes raised her head, a steely expression on her face. “Yes, Your Majesty,” she answered. “If Keirran is in danger, I must find him right away. When do you wish to go?”

“Right now.” Meghan turned her gaze to the others, to Puck and Coaleater, watching intently. “This is an uncertain time for all of us,” she said. “Faery is under threat. Something is coming, and none of us know what it is or when it could arrive—only that it is close. The rulers and leaders of Faery must be made aware of this threat. Coaleater…” She glanced at the large Iron faery, who straightened as her gaze fell on him. “I know you want to help us find Keirran, but I need you to return to the Obsidian plains and warn Spikerail of what happened. He needs to be aware, and should the time come when we must call on the Iron herd, I want him to be prepared.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The big man bowed his head, and I saw the shadow of his real self behind him: a huge warhorse made of black iron and flickering flame. “The Iron herd will stand ready to aid you against all threats. You will have our support for as long as you need it.”

Meghan nodded gratefully, then turned to the red-haired fey beside him. “Puck?”

“Come on, princess.” Robin Goodfellow flashed his toothy smile. “You know where I stand. You don’t even have to ask.”

“I believe I will come as well.”

A fluffy gray cat sauntered into view, waving an exceptionally bushy tail. His golden eyes regarded us all with bored appraisal. “If Touchstone has disappeared, I would like to see it for myself,” Grimalkin said. “Someone with an ounce of intelligence should be there to make sense of things and point out the obvious. And to point you in the right direction should you become lost. Not that I doubt the Forgotten’s abilities, but you will need a guide should you happen to lose your way.”

The Iron Queen gave a decisive nod. “Then let us go,” she said. “I fear time is slipping away, and the longer we wait, the more difficult it will become to find Keirran. Nyx…” She gestured toward the Forgotten. “Whenever you are ready, take us into the Between.”

Nyx immediately stepped forward. Closing her eyes, she put out a hand, fingers spread wide, as if searching for something that could only be felt. “Keirran showed me how to enter the Between,” she murmured, taking a few steps forward. “He said that only the Forgotten remember how to do it, and that the Lady gave him the gift when she was alive. You have to find a spot where the Veil is thin.”

“Like a trod?” Puck asked, referring to the magical paths that led into the Nevernever from the mortal realm.

“Similar,” Nyx murmured, still walking steadily forward with her hand up. We trailed the Forgotten as she continued to search. “The Veil is like a mist,” she went on, “constantly moving and changing. Those weak spots you find might not be there when you return to them. But, if you search long enough, you should be able to find… There.”

She stopped. Paused a moment. And then, as I had seen Keirran do only once or twice before, pushed her fingers into the fabric of reality and drew it back like a curtain. A narrow gash appeared where she parted the Veil, and beyond that tear was darkness. A few tendrils of mist curled out of the hole and writhed away into nothing.

Standing at the mouth of the gash into the void, Nyx shook her head. “The Between,” she murmured. “It feels…different. Angrier than it was before. That’s not good.” She opened her eyes and looked back at us. I saw concern on her face, but it was overshadowed by a somber resolution. “Guard your emotions,” she warned. “Calm your mind, and your feelings. The Between can manifest physical representations of strong emotions. So, if you are not careful, we might be facing your worst fears, or the darkest parts of your anger.”

I took a furtive breath to quiet the tangle of emotions, searching for the cold, empty calm of the Winter prince. It didn’t come as easily as it did in the past. Before Meghan and Keirran, when I only had myself to worry about, I feared very little. I wasn’t afraid of venturing into the unknown. Whatever came at me, whatever monster, nightmare or horrific abomination I would face, the worst that could happen was that they would kill me. And I was exceedingly hard to kill. Fear for my own life had rarely been a concern.

Things were different now. I had a family. I had a wife, and a son; two people that meant more to me than anything, in any world. If they were in danger, my entire being was consumed with wanting to protect them, to utterly destroy whatever evil they faced so it could never threaten them again. I could feel that anger in me now, rising up to dominate my thoughts, and breathed deep to find my center. If Keirran was out there, we would find him, and I would cut down anything that stood in our way. Simple as that.

Puck gave a loud, noisy sigh and glanced at me. “Well, ice-boy,” he said, “here we go again. Another adventure through the worst Faery has to offer. Oh, wait, you’ve never been through the actual Between before, have you?” He grinned, green eyes shining with mischief as he stepped toward the gateway. “You’re in for all sorts of fun surprises.”

Author Bio:

Born in Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things; how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks, and that writing stories in math class is a great way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate.

Julie now lives is Louisville, KY with her husband and furkids. She is the international and NYT bestselling author of The Iron Fey series. Visit her at juliekagawa.com.

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Blog Tour: The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Welcome to 2022! To kick off the year we've got a celebration for an amazing new book, The Kindred by Alechia Dow! Read on to learn more about the book and get an excerpt from the first chapter!

Title: The Kindred

Author: Alechia Dow

Release: January 4, 2022

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 400

Synopsis:

“Utterly swoony…an endearing reminder that true love can change the world”

—J. Elle, New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony

To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…

Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.

Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.

Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.

You Can Find it At:

Excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

FELIX

Looking this pretty takes time.

The clothes must be expensive but not gaudy, complex but not as if I put in all my effort. My hair must look styled but like I’ve walked through a gentle, aimless breeze, and I cannot be sweaty, which, on a planet known for having three suns, is rather difficult.

Parties that start early are the worst anyway. Everyone should be thanking me, not giving me the stink-eye, which they are. For some reason, they expect me to actually show up on time.

“Look who decided to join us,” the drummer from The Monchoos mutters as I step into the dimly lit hallway. We’re from the same planet, Maru-Monchuri, but there’s no comradery between us. Who could be friends with a pompous, spoiled duke like me, right? I could be better, could be the person I’m expected to be, but why waste the effort?

I give him a quick wink as I look around. This coveted, hard-to-get gig’s on Outpost 32: a man-made station between XiGra and Hali-Monchuri—Joy’s homeworld. XiGra’s a rich planet that’s not a part of the Qadin Kingdom (yet), and Hali is a part of the Qadin Kingdom, but also extremely poor. Thankfully, this outpost is the perfect mash-up of the two: international enough to be popular among wealthy travelers, cool and gritty enough to reflect the rock ’n’ roll aesthetic.

The black stone walls are plastered with band posters, grime, and beneath it all, the touch of musicians that would either make it or break it onstage. I wonder which one we’ll be tonight.

Joy humphs in my brain, but doesn’t elaborate.

She said she wouldn’t watch me choke, couldn’t be a part of another concert experience that sets off her anxiety. And yet, she can’t stay out of my head.

Of course, I’d be paired with the most judgmental Kindred in the system.

A coordinator peeks out from the curtain, a detached comm-ball hovering around their blue tentacled head. Dosani. They’re music geniuses, and probably the friendliest species in the universe. They speak Dosan into the comm, and then it flies over to us, translating.

“You’re late. Get onstage.” The voice doesn’t sound all that friendly. Weird.

My bandmates stalk behind the curtain, leaving me there in the deserted hallway for just a second. My nerves begin to spiral in the pit of my stomach, and I reach out to her, because she’s there, she’s always there—well, usually there—and she knows what I need.

Joy, I say through our connection. We’ve been together since birth. I’m exactly three minutes older than her, and I had to wait for our chips to sync for those three minutes. Not that I can remember. Still, that’s the longest I’ve been without her in my life.

The Kindred Program was created decades ago, after The Second Chaos, aka “The Revolution. Apparently, the poor rose up, feeling like their voices weren’t heard by the rich, powerful rulers, and so the lower classes threatened a reckoning. Maru’s top scientists offered a solution: the citizens of the Monchuri system could be paired, one from the upper class, one from the lower. Establishing this would allow everyone to have a voice that could be heard, blah-blah-blah, and no more revolution. How could anyone ignore a mind pairing?

Given that I’m a duke and cousin to the Qadin royals, I was supposed to be paired with someone a little closer in economic class, because not just anyone should have a voice with the royals. Yet, I got paired with Joy.

Joy, who is dreadfully poor, living on the most impoverished planet in our system. Joy, who is my best friend, my moral compass, my judge, jury, and sometimes executioner. She’s not always my biggest fan, but she supports me in whatever I choose to do. Which isn’t much. I like traveling, adventuring to new worlds as long as my amenities are acceptable, and playing in a band. We both love music. She loves listening in as I practice, hearing new melodies outside of her Halin hymns. She thinks music has the power to transform you and make you feel anything and everything. She believes in it, just like she believes in me.

Which is why I need her right now.

Because as much as I love music—and I do, with all of my small black heart—my stage fright keeps me from making it. Already, the nausea creeps up my throat and my breaths come too fast to let oxygen into my lungs.

Joy, I say again with some urgency.

Yes, Felix…? Her question whispers through our connection. She’s there inside my mind like a perfectly clear radio channel, the only one on my brain’s frequency. She can read my thoughts, converse with me, feel my emotions. She can see what I see. She’s the one consistency in my world, and I can’t live without her. Even if our worlds seem hell-bent on keeping us apart… Nah, I don’t need to be thinking about that now.

Tell me I can do it. I run a hand through my hair and blow air out between my teeth. My feet bounce on the dirty tiles. Tell me it’s not a big deal. Easy.

You’re the most talented person I know. You can do this. And I swear, if you make me sick again, Felix, I will murder you.

I chuckle. It’s not my fault you get sympathy pains.

The stronger we accept the bond in our minds, the stronger the feelings, including negative ones. Pain, illness, anxiety, sadness, anger… It can be so intense in such bonds that if one Kindred were to die, the other might follow shortly after. It occurs in maybe one in a thousand pairings, but it happens. Until recently, I would have thought Joy and I would be one of those pairs. But she’s been pulling away more and more.

Go get onstage! They’ve been waiting hours for you and your beautiful voice. She laughs, shifting her body on the couch in her apartment, nearly toppling her sketch pad off her lap. Get up there, she commands again, and then she’s gone. She’s turned the volume down to a whisper and tuned me out.

I hate when she does that. I also don’t know how she does that. Why can’t we just always stay connected? Who needs space? Not me.

With that thought, I take another deep breath and strut down the hall. I tug on the velvet red curtain and step through onto the sticky levitating stage. We lift a few feet off the ground, but thankfully, unlike in most of the more modern venues, the floor doesn’t spin. Thank the Gods.

My bandmates stare at me, wide-eyed as the crowd goes wild. The excitement in the room is palpable, like a glittery haze that coats my limbs and makes me want to sing and dance and be alive. My chest rises and falls in sync with their cheers and stomps.

I both love it and hate it up here.

The band’s set up and the microphone’s hot. The lights are low, the room’s packed, and I’m going to sing, even if my stomach churns and threatens to upchuck my dinner of steamed hopfal leaves packed with gooey black rice.

I swagger up to that mic, my legs wobbling like jelly. “Hello. I’m—”

“I love you, Felix!” someone in the audience shouts, though who it is, I can’t see. They’re all shadows and faceless bodies from up here. Just the way I like them.

The light beats down on me, and sweat prickles at the edge of my scalp.

“I love you, too.” I laugh into the mic, which earns a few grumbles from my bandmates. “Now I want to…” I trail off as a shadowed body comes into view. Their eyes bore into mine. The face is one I’d know anywhere. A face that shouldn’t be here.

My throat dries up as he stalks through the crowd, waiting for me to finish. I step back, almost stumbling over my own feet. With a fleeting glance at my bandmates, I trip offstage and toward him.

The crowd boos. My brain’s short-circuiting. He’s not supposed to be in this part of my life. He’s part of the Duke’s life, the one I shrug off and leave at home whenever the opportunity arises. His being here can only be bad for me. It can only mean trouble.

My feet are on autopilot as he nods his head over to a private booth reserved just for us. I can feel my bandmates’ glares, but they begin strumming on their guitars as if I was never really a part of their group anyway—which I wasn’t. The drums pick up and the audience forgets all about me and my promises of a good time as they dance.

My visitor wears a long black tunic embroidered with crimson thread and matching pants. His golden hair’s slicked back and his vibrant golden eyes flash as I slide into the booth first. He takes the seat opposite me, flips on the privacy switch in the center of the table, and then folds his hands on the table as a translucent wall falls around the perimeter of the booth.

We sit in silence for only a moment but it feels like a lifetime as my heart hammers unsteadily in my chest.

“Do you know why I’m here, Duke Hamdi?” he asks finally, his head tilting to the side.

I suck my teeth. “My parents think I’m at some interplanetary summit for the children of dignitaries on Kippilu and they found out I was lying?”

“I don’t work for your parents.” Arren huffs, leaning back. “I work for the Qadins. You may remember them as the royals that pay for the pricey state-of-the-art ships you use to jump planets and slum in music halls—” he waves his arm at the room “—your flashy clothes and instruments that you seemingly never play onstage, and the countless opportunities that have been provided to you over the course of your short life.” There’s a bitter edge to his words that has me sitting taller. “You are a disappointment to their name.”

Arren’s a royal advisor—the royal advisor, and he has done enough over the years to earn my fear and respect. But there has to come a time when I crack.

Tonight, I was going to finally get over my stage fright and make a name for myself that had nothing to do with my actual name. All of my hard work, practicing until late at night, and pushing myself to new limits both artistically and mentally would have paid off. Instead, I’m here, missing my chance, being scolded for chasing my dreams by the royal advisor that threatened my Kindred’s life.

I will not forget, and I will not forgive.

“Do you think by doing all the Qadins’ dirty work, it’ll make you one of them? Do you think they consider you their equal?” I try to twist my lips at the corners, even if dread sinks into the bottom of my stomach. “What’ll happen if I go into politics like they so desire and come for your job?” I’m balancing on the tip of a sword, and at any second, I’ll get cut.

“You’re a fool.” Arren chuckles, though there’s no humor in it. “I do not wish to be a Qadin. I am not their equal. And you…” He trails off suddenly to look at the carefree dancers and the band that went on without me. “You have responsibilities that come with your title.”

“There are other dukes, other cousins.” My nostrils flare as I watch him. “Why do they hold me to such high standards when the others are free to do what they want?”

“Because you are meant to be much more than you are. Soon, you’ll need to step in and step up.” He holds my gaze now, and in it, I see a flicker of something that’s not frustration. It’s a thoughtful, plotting look. Arren’s got plans, and he wants me to follow them. “Soon your Kindred will marry and move on with her life. But where will you be? Failing on the stages of dingy bars—because at some point the good ones will stop booking you no matter your title—and burning through your trust fund? Do you know how many people would kill for the opportunities you have?”

Something about that question furthers my unease. Who would kill for opportunities? The Kindred Program makes sure that people are heard and happy. Murder doesn’t happen anymore. Citizens are content with their roles in life.

“Don’t you have other things to do, like I don’t know, figure out the Ilori conflict or something? Aren’t they trying to colonize us? The Qadins should be putting their energy into that, not whatever this is. What could they possibly want with me? I have no power or ambitions in politics.”

“The Qadins didn’t send me, so I don’t rightly know.” He stands, running his hands down his spotless tunic as I digest that news. If they didn’t send him, why is he here? “I came because I am looking out for your best interests. King Qadin would have no issue ignoring your existence, but I know you have a great destiny. One day, you may have power, and you could create change. Stop this music nonsense and join me, join my side. Together, we can pave our own paths in this kingdom. You could find your voice, since you can’t seem to find it onstage, and finally reach your potential. I believe in you—can you say that about anyone else?”

I barely keep the anger from my voice as I shuffle my legs beneath the table. “Is that why you threatened my Kindred?” I remember the way he had guards surround her without her noticing, pointing their weapons at her as he made me promise to never see her. Never allow her into my heart. “Was that your way of believing in me?”

“I was following orders. I work for the Qadins, but I am not one of them, and with Princess LaTanya’s impending nuptials with her Kindred, Johann Kao, I never will be.” He shakes his head, as if he didn’t mean to say that. Admittedly, it was a weird thing to say, but then I do know from the tabloids that he’s enamored with LaTanya… Still, that thought flees my mind as he continues, “They were right to make sure you keep your distance from your Kindred. There is only one person you can rely on, Duke Hamdi, and I believe, in time, you’ll come to see that. Someday soon, you will need my help. And I won’t hesitate to give it.” He slips a card onto the table and with that, he strides off, disappearing into the dancing fray.

My fingers edge the tip of the card. It’s solid black. It’s an upload, something I’d need to stick into a holo-frame monitor to access. It probably has Arren’s private info encrypted for me, so that I can learn to live up to my potential and what—overthrow the Qadins and stage a coup with him? Why would I do that? What makes him think I want any responsibility that big? Despite what he says, I learned early that my name gets me in doors, gets me a seat at the table, but that’s it. I don’t matter. No one cares about my opinions or thoughts, so why should I have them anymore?

I shove it deep in my pocket and punch the button in the center of the table for service.

He chose this night, this moment, on purpose. He probably even had Outpost 32 book this gig for me just so he could ruin it. So I would be miserable and malleable to whatever he’s plotting. But he underestimated my indifference.

At least I’m here where I can get drunk enough to drown my sorrow as the crowd dances and the music thrums through them, and me.

At least his newest power move will keep me from thinking about Joy.

Author Bio:

Alechia Dow is a former pastry chef, teacher, and librarian. When she's not writing, you can find her having epic dance parties with her little girl, baking, reading, or traveling.

You Can Find Her At:

I hope this post has you as excited to read this book as I've been! The Kindred released on Tuesday and is available in bookstores now!

Sunday, August 1, 2021

Blog Tour: Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LIKE OTHER GIRLS by Britta Lundin Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway! I love supporting books featuring women in sports, especially when they're breaking boundaries, so Like Other Girls is right up my alley!

Title: Like Other Girls
Author: Britta Lundin
Release: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 384

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

"What if I played football?" I ask. As soon as it's out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I've overstepped some kind of invisible line we've all agreed not to discuss. We don't talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don't talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what's right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. "What do you think?"

"I think it's frickin' genius," he says.

After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that she never could have predicted.

Inspired by what they see as Mara's political statement, four other girls join the team. Now Mara's lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can't throw, can't kick, and doesn't know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara's crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara's nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara's preconceived notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.

Britta Lundin's sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them stand up and cheer.

You Can Find it At:

Bookshop.org

Events:

Tuesday, August 3
Like Other Girls 🎉 Launch Signing
Skylight Books
7-8:30pm
more details

Saturday, August 7
Like Other Girls 🎉Virtual Event
Britta Lundin in conversation with Carly Usdin (filmmaker, author The Avant Guards)
noon PT/3pm ET
register here to get the link

Review

First Impressions

I was super excited to read this book, and so I was ecstatic when I got an ARC through work. I read it a little slower than usual because I was in the middle of an archaeological field school, but I spent every extra minute I could reading! I love reading stories about young women who break the mold, and Mara definitely fits that bill!

Characters

It's clear at the beginning of the book that Mara has a lot of character growth to do. She doesn't like to rock the boat, and is likely to agree with some of the misogynistic stuff her guy friends say, even if they make her uncomfortable. She liked being seen as 'one of the guys' and not like those *other* girls, before eventually realizing that might not be a healthy way to go about friendships. Luckily, she meets Jupiter (a queer woman) who serves as a mentor. Jupiter is a great character, and I would definitely love to have a woman like her in my life!

Mara goes through a lot of tough situations, especially as her small town isn't very accepting, both of girls playing male-dominated sports and of queer people. Mara knows she's lesbian from the beginning, but worries about coming out. She's both not sure how her parents will react, her mother already struggles with letting Mara wear jeans and t-shirts instead of dresses, and she knows many neighbors won't react kindly. But as Mara gets to know the four other girls who join the football team, she shows amazing growth and realizes that her world is wider than she originally thought. Over the course of the book, she figures out that even in an unforgiving environment, you can build your own family around you.

World Building

Officially, I believe the book takes place in rural Oregon. That said, the book could easily be taking place basically anywhere rural and with prominent farming culture. I think Lundin does a great job of setting the scene. We really get the sense that there's a lot of wide open spaces, that people are close knit even if they're physically far apart, and that change comes hard. As someone who lives in suburbia, I really felt like I was transported to another place.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend reading Like Other Girls! If you like sports-centric YA books, this is a must-read. Even if football isn't your thing, Mara is a compelling character. You can't help routing for her, even if she's making questionable decisions. Watching her grow and come into her own was a pleasure. The book has some great queer rep and I can't wait to read more from the author!

Author Bio:

Britta Lundin is a TV writer and author.

She’s written for shows such as Riverdale, Betty, and The Big Leap and is the author of the young adult novels Like Other Girls (out August 2021) and Ship It.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she lives with her wife, kid, and dog in Los Angeles.

You Can Find Her At:

Giveaway:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of LIKE OTHER GIRLS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One
8/1/2021 Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews - Review
8/2/2021 BookHounds YA - Excerpt
8/3/2021 Rajiv's Reviews - Review
8/4/2021 Kait Plus Books - Excerpt
8/5/2021 Lifestyle of Me - Review
8/6/2021 onemused - Review
8/7/2021 booksaremagictoo - Review

Week Two
8/8/2021 EveryonesLibrarian - Review
8/9/2021 @curlygrannylovestoread - Review
8/10/2021 BRITTREADSALATTEBOOKS - IG Post
8/11/2021 A Bookish Dream - Review
8/12/2021 Nonbinary Knight Reads - Review
8/13/2021 Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile - Review
8/14/2021 Fyrekatz Blog - Review

Week Three
8/15/2021 @coffeebooksandmascara - Review
8/16/2021 Midnightbooklover - IG Post
8/17/2021 A Gingerly Review - Excerpt/IG post
8/18/2021 The Bookwyrm's Den - Review
8/19/2021 @drewsim12 - Review
8/20/2021 Adrianna.reads - Review
8/21/2021 Mallory Books - Review

Week Four
8/22/2021 GivernyReads - Review
8/23/2021 popthebutterfly - Review
8/24/2021 @pagesofyellow - Review
8/25/2021 My Fictional Oasis - Review
8/26/2021 Perusewithcoffee - Review
8/27/2021 The Phantom Paragrapher - Review
8/28/2021 Eli to the nth - Review

Week Five
8/29/2021 @fictitious.fox - Review
8/30/2021 Bibliosini - Review
8/31/2021 Two Points of Interest - Review

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Blog Tour: Havoc by Mary Lindsey

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Havoc by Mary Lindsey! Read on to discover a little more about the book!

Title: Havoc

Author: Mary Lindsey

Release: April 5, 2021

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Series: Haven

Pages: 400

Synopsis:

For the first time in his life, Rain Ryland belongs. He’s found a home with the wolf shifters of New Wurzburg and is no-holds-barred in love with Friederike Burkhart, their soon-to-be alpha. But the ascension to power is never easy for a new alpha, and challengers will come from an unlikely source—and bring into jeopardy not just Freddie’s position as alpha but her blooming relationship with Rain. Rain has never shied away from a challenge—or a fight. And he’s ready to fight like hell for the woman he loves. But then a vision shows him that the biggest challenge of all to Freddie isn’t to her alpha status but against her life...and he’s the one who delivers the killing blow.

You Can Find it At:

Author Bio:

Mary Lindsey is a multi award-winning, RITA® nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on an island in the middle of a river. Seriously, she does. When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, two Cairn Terriers, and one husband. Inexplicably, her favorite animal is the giant anteater and at one point, she had over 200 "pet" Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The roaches are a long story involving three science-crazed kids and a soft spot for rescue animals. The good news is, the "pet" roaches found a home... somewhere else.

You Can Find Her At:

And make sure to check out the first book in the series!

Title: Haven

Author: Mary Lindsey

Release: November 17, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Series: Haven

Pages: 371

Synopsis:

We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed.

Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere, He’s used to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, and he’s fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.

Freddie isn’t like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he’d better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain’s never been good at running from trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for.

You Can Find it At:

And make sure to check out the rest of the tour! You can find the rest of the schedule here!

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Blog Tour: The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa

Welcome, welcome! It's an exciting time here in 2021, and this is my first blog tour stop of the year! I was absolutely obsessed with the Iron Fey series when I was a kid, which makes it all the more awesome to be part of the blog tour for The Iron Raven! This book is kicking off an all-new adventure with everyone's favorite prankster, Puck!

Title: The Iron Raven

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Release: February 9, 2021

Pages: 336

Review: 5 stars

Synopsis:

Wicked faeries and fantastic danger... Welcome to book one of the new trilogy in New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey fantasy series, as infamous prankster Puck finally has a chance to tell his story and stand with allies new and old to save Faery and the world.

"YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF ME..."

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool... King Oberon's right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before.

With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck's longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten. Filled with myths and faery lore, romance and unfathomable dangers, The Iron Raven is book one of a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the world of The Iron Fey.

You Can Find it At:

Indiebound

Goodreads

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Apple Books
Google Play

Review:

First Impressions

I initially read the Iron Fey series back in middle school. I continued reading the sequel series as it came out, and am super excited for this series featuring lovable Puck! I really enjoyed The Iron Raven, and recommend checking it if you were a fan of the original series. Given the knowledge needed to fully understand the characters and backstory, I also recommend reading the previous books before jumping in to this new story.

Characters

Puck is always supporting other characters, so it was cool to see him in the lead. Puck has a difficult journey in this book, as an early incident ends up bringing up a lot of old feelings. I also really enjoyed getting to know more of his history and who he was before the original series. While the book follows a number of known characters, we are also introduced to a new one. Nyx is Forgotten, and joins Puck on his journey over the course of the book. I absolutely loved her character, and I hope we get her POV in book two! Her past is super compelling, and I always dig a mysterious murder lady. All the knives for the win!

World Building

For readers of the previous series, much of the book is set in a world we already know. That said, it's not all rehashing the same paths. The Iron Raven explores new aspects of the three courts, especially on a journey through the iron realm, and gives a look into how the faerie world has changed since we last saw it. It was fun to both see new locations and relearn about old ones through new eyes. I went into the book a little fuzzy about the previous ones, and was a little confused at times, but I found the best way to manage was just to roll with it. The world of the Iron Fey is so big that there's no way I could remember all of it, especially since I haven't reread the rest of the series in a wall.

Final Thoughts

It was so fun to revisit such a beloved world. I loved reconnecting with old characters and meeting new ones (my beloved Nyx for example). This is definitely the start of something big, and I can't wait to read more!

Interview:

Q: What was the hardest scene to write in The Iron Raven? What was the easiest?

A: I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but the hardest scene in The Iron Raven was near the very end of the book when they're fighting the final Big Bad, and Puck does a completely Puck-ish thing to give them a fighting chance. It was random and irreverent and completely ridiculous, so I had to get it just right to avoid making it cheesy. The easiest scene was one where Puck and Ash were semi-seriously threatening each other, because I know those two so well and it was all rather familiar.

Q: Did you hide any secrets in your book? (names of friends, little jokes, references to things only some people will get)?

A: Lol, well I'm going to reveal my absolute geekiness and say that the name of the newest character, Nyx, is actually my D&D character, a dragon-hating elven assassin. There were a few tweaks, of course, but Nyx is...well, me in a D&D campaign. :P

Q: What do you hope people remember about The Iron Raven?

A: I hope The Iron Raven brings back the feel of the first Iron Fey novels, where everything was new and surreal and exciting. I hope readers will experience the same wonder and belief in magic, friendship, love and heroism that I tried to present in the first series.

Q: Did The Iron Raven have a certain soundtrack you listened to while writing?

A: My music tastes are eclectic, but I do listen to a lot of Two Steps From Hell while writing, because its mostly instrumental and they have some epic soundtracks.

Q: What is your dream cast for The Iron Raven?

A: I am so bad at this question I don't even think I can answer it. Apologies, but I really am terrible at remembering actors and actresses. This is a great question for fans, though. Who would your dream cast be for an Iron Fey series?

Author Bio:

Julie Kagawa is the New York Times, USA TODAY and internationally bestselling author of The Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, The Talon Saga and the Shadow of the Fox series. Born in Sacramento, she has been a bookseller and an animal trainer and enjoys reading, painting, playing in her garden and training in martial arts. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and a plethora of pets. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You Can Find Her At:

Website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Goodreads

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Blog Tour: The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am so excited to be part of The Brightest Night blog tour! I am a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout and am always happy to scream about her books!

Title: The Brightest Night

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Tor Teen

Release: October 20, 2020

Series: Origin

Pages: 512

Review: 4.5 Stars

First Impressions

This review will definitely contain spoilers for the previous books!

Fun fact! This is the 100th book I've read this year!

I've been incredibly excited to read The Brightest Night ever since I finished The Burning Shadow last year. In general, Jennifer L. Armentrout is an auto-buy author for me, and this series is no exception! The book did start a little slow, but once I got into it, I devoured it in an afternoon!

Characters

The main POV character is Evie, or as we know from previous books, Nadia. She has discovered that she was experimented on by the evil government group The Daedalus, which featured heavily in the original Lux series. The various experiments gave her major alien powers, and as of the start of the book, she has no idea how to control them. They only time they've manifested, she almost killed people she cares about (like Luc). A lot of this book is about character development for Evie. She really comes into her powers while also connecting with who she was before her memories were taken from her. I liked to see her growth and how her relationship with Luc developed.

Speaking of Luc and Evie's relationship... Things get hot and heavy for these two lovebirds! Jennifer's books fall into the category of upper YA, and that's definitely the case for The Brightest Night. While not as graphic as say a romance novel, it's pretty clear what's going on when Luc and Evie get romantic. I really liked how the characters grew together besides just romantically. They really trusted each other more and more, and I got the sense that there were finally no secrets between them.

World Building

At the end of The Burning Shadow Evie and Luc arrive at the secret hideout of humans, Luxen, and others in Houston. A lot of the book is spent exploring this community and how it works. It was really fun to reconnect with characters from the previous series who were also living there. That said, we only really met a couple of the many people living in the community.

Despite the limited travel of the book, there are hints given about the hell that the rest of the world is going to. Like what's happening in real life, there is a pandemic happening in the book. Unlike ours, it is one that has been engineered by The Daedalus to have alien DNA and either kill or mutate the humans it infects. It was kinda weird to read about a pandemic happening given what's happening in our world. I get expecting the characters to put on a mask and keep six feet apart. We'll almost definitely see the effects of this in the next book, and I look forward to discovering what happens, even if I dread all the crap the characters will probably go through.

Final Thoughts

This is a solid edition to the Jennifer L. Armentrout library! It's very similar in style to her other books, but that can be a nice relief to fall back into an old favorite. If you've read the previous books you should definitely pick this one up! And if aliens falling in love sounds up your alley, then there are plenty of books to catch up on!

Synopsis:

The thrills, drama, and intrigue continue in the third installment of the Origin series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout.

He is the darkest star.
You are the burning shadow.
And together, you will bring about the brightest night.

Less than a year ago, Evelyn Dasher was a normal girl, living an unremarkable life.

Now, she's on the run, under the protection of the beautiful, deadly inhuman Luc. She's been betrayed by those who were closest to her. And she's learned truths about herself that she never saw coming--things she once knew, and was made to forget. Truths with devastating consequences. She's caught in the eye of the storm.

She is the eye of the storm

You Can Find it At:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Praise:

"Highly Anticipated" —Entertainment Weekly
"Thrilling" —Hypable
“A Must" —Booklist
"Enthralling" —SLJ
"Engaging" —VOYA

Author Bio:

Photo Credit: Franggy Yanes

JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, iBooks, and international bestselling author of the Lux series and other books for teens and adults. She is a #1 bestseller in Germany and Italy, and a top seller in markets around the world. Her young adult novels have sold over a million copies since 2011 in the US alone, and have been finalists for the Goodreads Choice Awards and many others. Jennifer lives in West Virginia with her husband and dogs.

Tour Schedule:

Part One - Reviews & Excerpts
October 19th Monday BookHounds YA Excerpt
October 20th Tuesday Movies, Shows, & Books Excerpt
October 20th Tuesday Emelie's Books Review
October 21st Wednesday A Court of Coffee and Books Review
October 21st Wednesday K-Books Review
October 22nd Thursday Ya It's Lit Review

Part Two - Reviews
October 22nd Thursday A Dream Within A Dream Review
October 23rd Friday Rajiv's Reviews Review
October 24th Saturday Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews Review
October 24th Saturday Lisa Loves Literature Review
October 25th Sunday Nay's Pink Bookshelf Review
October 25th Sunday Book Briefs Review

Giveaway:

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*
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